Pumpkin Porter

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Pschof

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
110
Reaction score
4
Location
Massachusetts
I've never had a pumpkin porter, but love pumpkin ale. I'm thinking about making a pumpkin porter but have a hard time imagining the pumpkin/spice taste not being drowned out in a dark beer. Am I right to worry?
 
Where in Mass are you? I would check out the CBC brewery in cambridge. They currently have a very tasty pumpkin porter.
 
I'm drinking a pumkin porter right now, I like it, I do need to tweak my mash temp for the next go around. The spice is more subtle in mine, but it's a winner in my book.
 
CBC is having a pumpkin beer fest of some sort on Halloween. I'll have to check out the porter.

I ended up making one, but over-doing the spices for fear I wouldn't be able to taste anything. I was wrong. The beer is drinkable, but not "good." Next time I will know better.
 
I have made a pumpkin porter, which is fermenting now. I plan on adding a spice tea mixture to the secondary. Any advice on how much is to much, or too little? If you can, post your recipes :)
 
Mine pumpkin porter was a partial mash recipe. I baked the pumpkin on a cookie sheet for about 45 minutes I think before mashing. I mashed at 153 for an hour.

It turned out well. The pumpkin isn't as strong as I had hoped, being overshadowed by the spices. I think next time I'd use more pumpkin and less spices. I'm happy with it however, and even entered into a competition coming up. We'll see how it does I guess.

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Pumpkin Porter 0909
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General
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Category: Porter
Subcategory: Robust Porter
Recipe Type: Extract
Batch Size: 5 gal.
Volume Boiled: 3.5 gal.
Mash Efficiency: 72 %
Total Grain/Extract: 8.00 lbs.
Total Hops: 2.0 oz.
Calories (12 fl. oz.): 232.1
Cost to Brew: $44.25 (USD)
Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.): $0.83 (USD)

Ingredients
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.5 lbs. American 6-row Pale
.5 lbs. Crystal Malt 60°L
.5 lbs. English Chocolate Malt
.5 lbs. British Black Patent
5 lbs. Dry Light
1 lbs. Maple Syrup
1 oz. Nugget (Pellets, 10.00 %AA) boiled 60 minutes.
1 oz. Willamette (Pellets, 5.00 %AA) boiled 20 minutes.
40 ounces pumpkin filling (not included in calculations)
1 teaspoons nutmeg 5 min (not included in calculations)
1 teaspoons all-spice 5 min (not included in calculations)
1 teaspoons cinnamon 5 min (not included in calculations)
Yeast: WYeast 1098 British Ale

Notes
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Vital Statistics
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Original Gravity: 1.059
Terminal Gravity: 1.014
Color: 29.70 SRM
Bitterness: 51.3 IBU
Alcohol (%volume): 5.9 %
 
I actually threw the pumpkin in a muslin bag, and added it to the boil. It created a fair amount of trub, but it definitely got the pumpkin in there. And I'm not sure how much mashing with the pumpkin makes a difference. . . I don't think there are too many fermentable sugars in there, but I could be wrong.
 
There's a nice recipe in extreme brewing. It was only my 2nd beer and its probably top 2 for me. Brought it to thanksgiving and my girlfriend's uncle was all over it, preferring it to the expensive ice wine he brought for dessert!

I baked the pumpkin as well and then pureed and just added to the end of the boil. I think it made a difference, particularly in the body but added a bit of taste too i think. I recommend not cutting corners and use pumpkin and spices instead of just spices.
 
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